Why These VPNs Excel on Raspbian

Raspbian (now Raspberry Pi OS) is a Debian-based distribution optimised for ARM processors found in Raspberry Pi devices. It uses apt as its package manager, relies on systemd under the hood and typically ships with lightweight desktop environments such as LXDE/PIXEL or XFCE. Users of Raspbian range from hobbyists and educators to IoT developers—all of whom need minimal resource overhead and straightforward command-line tools. When choosing a VPN for this distro, look for:

• Native .deb packages built for armhf (or arm64)
• Command-line interfaces or very lightweight GUIs compatible with LXDE/PIXEL
• Support for both OpenVPN and WireGuard (for speed and simplicity)
• An apt repository or easy install script

Quick Comparison of Top VPNs for Raspbian

1. Mullvad VPN: Installation Configuration

Mullvad stands out with both a lightweight GTK GUI (compatible with LXDE/PIXEL) and a CLI client. It provides official ARM packages in its Debian repository.

Step 1: Add the Mullvad apt Repository

# Install dependencies
sudo apt update
sudo apt install -y apt-transport-https gnupg

# Add Mullvad’s GPG key and repository
wget -qO- https://mullvad.net/media/gui/deb/gpg  sudo gpg --dearmor -o /usr/share/keyrings/mullvad-archive-keyring.gpg
echo deb [signed-by=/usr/share/keyrings/mullvad-archive-keyring.gpg] https://mullvad.net/media/gui/deb/ stable main 
   sudo tee /etc/apt/sources.list.d/mullvad.list

# Update and install
sudo apt update
sudo apt install -y mullvad-vpn

Step 2: Running Mullvad

For GUI mode (Pixel desktop):

mullvad-vpn

For CLI mode:

# Log in with your Mullvad account number
mullvad login YOUR_ACCOUNT_NUMBER

# Connect automatically to the fastest server
mullvad connect

# Check status
mullvad status

2. NordVPN: Installation Configuration

NordVPN offers a purpose-built CLI for Debian-based ARM distros. It uses its own NordLynx (WireGuard-based) for extra speed.

Step 1: Add NordVPN’s Repository

# Install prerequisites
sudo apt update
sudo apt install -y gnupg2 curl

# Add GPG key and repo
curl -fsSL https://repo.nordvpn.com/gpg/nordvpn_public.asc  sudo gpg --dearmor -o /usr/share/keyrings/nordvpn-archive-keyring.gpg
echo deb [signed-by=/usr/share/keyrings/nordvpn-archive-keyring.gpg] https://repo.nordvpn.com/deb/nordvpn/debian stable main 
   sudo tee /etc/apt/sources.list.d/nordvpn.list

# Install the client
sudo apt update
sudo apt install -y nordvpn

Step 2: Use NordVPN CLI

# Log in (it will open a browser on another machine or give a code)
nordvpn login

# Connect to a country (e.g., United Kingdom)
nordvpn connect United_Kingdom

# Enable NordLynx
nordvpn set technology nordlynx

# Check status
nordvpn status

3. ProtonVPN: Installation Configuration

ProtonVPN’s community-driven CLI works well on ARM. It uses Python and pip for installation.

Step 1: Install pip ProtonVPN-CLI

# Update and install pip
sudo apt update
sudo apt install -y python3-pip

# Install ProtonVPN CLI package
sudo pip3 install protonvpn-cli

Step 2: Initialize Connect

# Initialize (you’ll be prompted for your ProtonVPN username  password)
sudo protonvpn init

# Connect to the fastest server
sudo protonvpn c -f

# List servers if needed
sudo protonvpn s

Wrapping Up

Each of these VPNs integrates smoothly with Raspbian’s apt ecosystem and runs with minimal overhead on ARM hardware. Mullvad offers a GUI if you prefer a graphical approach, while NordVPN and ProtonVPN are pure CLI powerhouses. Choose the one matching your preferred protocol, interface style and performance needs, and you’ll have secure tunnelling on your Raspberry Pi in minutes.